Check out the Mariposa Girls' first music video!

By Jessica Lawson - Co-Founder

In the studio with Pierce Freelon

Dear Friends,

We're excited to be able to share with you the result of a very special project that the Mariposa girls worked on last summer. For two weeks in July 2014, a small group of our oldest girls participated in a Beat Making Lab with Pierce Freelon and Stephen Levitin (www.beatmakinglab.com). The Beat Making Lab helps to unleash the creativity in adolescents through intensive training in an electronic music studio small enought to fit in a backpack. Equipped with a laptop, microphone and some software, the Mariposa Girls set out to write their own songs, make some beats and film their very on music video.

We're excited to share the result of their hard work with you. If you ever wondered what empowerment really looks like, watch this video, you won't be disappointed.

16 year old Lola says, "Music has always been a love in my life. I never thought I would have the chance to make my own and now I'm a rapper. I can't wait to make more songs and I love the studio". Music is a powerful force. For youth, it has the power to build academic and social skills, foster creativity and teamwork and help them further develop self-confidence and self-esteem.

We hope you enjoy the video and we would like to thank you for your ongoing support. Giving our girls the chance to do things like this is only possible because of thoughtful, generous people like you. Thank you.

Enjoy!

The girls, families, volunteers and staff at The Mariposa DR Foundation

Healing Through Art

By Jessica Lawson - Co-Founder

Johannil with her students

Dear Friends,

We're very excited to tell you about an exciting new program that began this fall at The Mariposa Center for Girls. For the past four months, volunteer Johannil has been teaching theraputic art classes to all 120 girls. Art therapy is very different from traditional art instruction. Art therapy is making art to enhance one’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Art therapy uses the art making process to explore elements such as feelings, managing emotions and behaviors, increasing self-esteem and self-awareness, gaining self-empowerment, and reducing anxiety, with the goal of improving and restoring personal well being.

Under Johannil's leadership, the girls explored a variety of mediums: fabric, clay, paint, pencil, and recycled materials. Some projects included: creating personal journals, jewelry, paper flowers, dream sticks, wrap dolls, self-care boxes and self-affirming cards. Through these art projects the girls explored the following themes: self-care, self-empowerment, self-esteem, taking care of one’s body and consent, family and culture, and their role in their community.

By the end of this semester, many of the girls reported having a positive learning experience. When students were asked what they learned and appreciated about the class they responded, “How to take care of my body because I have to maintain my body healthy,” “ I liked sharing my work with my classmates,” “ The importance of doing things for others with love,” and “I learned how to make jewelry and other art activities, thought about my future, and ways to better care for myself.” Johannil also worked closely with our staff psychologist to integrate her curriculum into our overall health and wellness program, and convene a group of mothers to help them understand the value of what their daughters are learning and inviting them to participate as well!

In addition to independent projects, the girls worked together to create two pieces of community art, one of which is in the process of being permanently installed at the Dominican-Haitian border! Johannil's incredible work has helped the girls to recognize the power of art - how it brings people together, encourages learning from each other, and how it can create a space of healing. They used their leadership skills and vast creativity to make the murals a success, give importance and meaning to their personal art pieces, and learn how to use art as a tool to heal.

Amazing transformations are happening every day at The Mariposa Center for Girls and it is only possible because of thoughtful, generous people like you and we thank you for your support from the bottom of our hearts.

Wishing you a warm and happy holiday season!

With gratitude,

The girls, volunteers, families and staff at The Mariposa DR Foundation

5th Annual Health Fair

By Jessica Lawson - Co-Founder

Health Visit

Dear Friends,

The fall has been action packed. Programs are in full swing and the girls have 34 different activities to choose from! At the end of October we hosted our 5th annual health fair. This year we were able to do 4 days full of eye exams, physicals, mental health evaluations, dental visits and more. We welcomed volunteer physicians so that we could expand the services to provide free pap smears, present birth control options and offer free HIV testing and counseling to all community members. Our volunteers saw more than 400 people in 4 days!

We work hard to create strong connections with volunteers, community resources and local NGO's to ensure that all of our girls' needs are met. This is especially important when it comes to their health. Our annual health fair is an opportunity for girls and their families to get their basic care needs met, learn about where to go for certain things in their community and how to take care of themselves in the long term. Empowering girls to be in charge of their own well-being is critical to our success. Healthy, happy girls stay in school.

This program is extremely important for parents as well. Maria, who has five girls in our program says "I am raising 5 girls and sometimes it is hard and expensive to make sure that they all go to the doctor. The health fair at Mariposa is great for my family because we can all come and make sure we are staying healthy, and if there is a problem, they can help us find where to go." Teaching girls how to navigate resources, and engaging the entire family, positions them to become leaders in their homes and their community.

These accomplishments are only possible because of thoughtful, generous people like you and we thank you for your ongoing support.

With gratitude,

The girls, families, volunteers and staff at The Mariposa DR Foundation

WARNING: Javascript is currently disabled or is not available in your browser. GlobalGiving makes extensive use of Javascript and will not function properly with Javascript disabled. Please enable Javascript and refresh this page.